Social Work and Restorative Justice: Skills for Dialogue, Peacemaking, and Reconciliation

Elizabeth Beck, Nancy P. Kropf, and Pamela Blume Leonard

Abstract

Restorative justice and social work share principles and goals, including the goal of addressing pain and conflict. Many of the processes used by restorative justice practitioners are based on indigenous practices that facilitate peacemaking, victim healing, and reengagement of offenders. As a method for transforming conflict, restorative justice can be viewed as a theory, a principle, and a practice. Each aspect of restorative justice has the ability to inform and strengthen social work practice and restorative practices can be enhanced by the knowledge, evidenced based initiatives, practice ... More

Restorative justice and social work share principles and goals, including the goal of addressing pain and conflict. Many of the processes used by restorative justice practitioners are based on indigenous practices that facilitate peacemaking, victim healing, and reengagement of offenders. As a method for transforming conflict, restorative justice can be viewed as a theory, a principle, and a practice. Each aspect of restorative justice has the ability to inform and strengthen social work practice and restorative practices can be enhanced by the knowledge, evidenced based initiatives, practice modes, and commitment to social justice pioneered by social work. This book examines the intersection of the two disciplines by exploring restorative justice practices in traditional social work environments. The book provides case studies in settings such as school settings, communities, domestic violence, homicide, prisons, child welfare, and gerontology. Social workers and restorative justice practitioners collaborate on each chapter, outlining theoretical orientations, specific intervention approaches and practice principles that integrate the strengths of each approach in ranging from the commonplace contradiction of punishing public school students for behavioral problems by depriving them of the opportunity to learn from their mistakes to the role that both social work and restorative processes have played in the rebuilding of Liberia.

Alexandra Lee Crampton and Nancy P. Kropf

Elizabeth Beck, Nancy P. Kropf and Pamela Blume Leonard

End Matter

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